Reasons for cancelling Kagame’s visit to the University of Oxford.

Some call him an African hero, others an African Hitler. He is characterized by a controversial and disputable personality for many evident reasons widely documented by UN experts’ reports and other human rights organizations as reputable as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, or Journalists Without Borders.

On May 18th 2013 the Oxford Business Network for Africa has invited him to attend their Conference at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and deliver a keynote speech and receive “the inaugural Distinction of Honor for African Growth Award.”

Voices opposed to the visit have been writing down their views on the petition which has been published on Tuesday May 7th calling for the cancellation of the engagement. At the time of writing this note, the call had already collected 1,694 signatures from different parts of the world only after a few days from its publication. Some aimed at getting up to 5,000 signatures by early next week to prove to the organizers of the conference that they were not well advised to invite the Rwandan president.

We publish here some of the reasons that people are putting forward to request that cancellation.

Serge Nick

“Awarding this man is encouraging all perpetrators of human rights abuse and war criminals to believe that they can continue their nasty work and be rewarded one day. Kagame has long been at the core of war in DRC and his own country human rights abuse but he is being rewarded for his work. It is a big mistake giving this man an award and history will catch up on him.”

Vincent Harris

“Kagame’s RPF is behind the terrorist group M23 (UN, UK, US reports confirm this fact). Kagame’s RPF hunts down opponents abroad and pressures Rwandans to attend his RPF propaganda events.

Making Kagame and his party RPF believe that they are on the right track, while rigging elections, spreading terror and bending the courts would be giving wrong advice.”

Lizinde F-Flavien

“Against the free movement of criminals.”

Jean-Baptise Mberabahizi

“Paul Kagame is a criminal and a tyrant. The right place for him is a court of law.”

Nia Noel

“Because he was instrumental in the Rwandan genocide, genocide in Congo & Uganda and probably more areas.”

Patrice Kalambayi Mulowane

“Paul Kagame,he is a war criminal , he must face prosecution at the international criminal court for arming groups responsible for atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo at since 1997. He is similar to Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president who is jailed for 50 years…

…the world has the obligation to bring justice and peace in the Great Lakes of Africa, in order to do that we need to stop criminals.”

Lubangi Muniania

“Paul Kagame Illegally Exploit Natural Resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by sponsoring a war by rebels where rape against women is used as a weapon of war. He is responsible of 8 million deaths in Easter part of DR Congo. According to the UN report, he is the godfather of the illegal exploitation of natural resources and the continuation of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

Tammy Mcarthur

“Because we need to stand up to bullying and crimes against humanity.”

Kingole Tshilenge

“This man is responsible for the slaughtering and the raping of many Congolese and Rwandese.”

Dorothy Walker

“I support human rights and what is going on in Congo and Rwanda is despicable. No one should get praise and accolade for such atrocities.”